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S. 888: Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2017

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S. 888: Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2017

115th Congress · introduced 2017-04-07 · Education · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-04-07 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2017

Plain summary

Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2017 This bill amends the Higher Education Opportunity Act and the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education to use a standardized financial aid offer form that meets specified requirements. The Department of Education (ED) must develop a standard format for financial aid offer forms based on recommendations from representatives of students, students' families, institutions of higher education, secondary school and postsecondary counselors, and nonprofit consumer groups. The form must include specified details and disclosures regarding: the cost of attendance; aid that does not need to be repaid; the net price that a student or family is estimated to pay; work study assistance; types and amounts of loans, including monthly repayment amounts; sources for additional information; deadlines and the process for accepting financial aid; the academic period covered by the aid; default rates; the percentage of students who have student loans and the median debt at graduation for students; private loans; scholarships; and the terms and conditions of federal financial aid. ED must: (1) test the form with representatives of students, students' families, institutions of higher education, secondary school and postsecondary counselors, and nonprofit consumer groups; and (2) use the results to develop the final form. Each institution of higher education that receives federal financial assistance under the Higher Education Act of 1965 must use the standard form when offering financial aid to students.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] · 9 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] reported raising $527,998 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-s888 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115